Posts Tagged "nourish"

I’ve recently been reading a fascinating and enlightening book entitled “Healing Wise” by renowned herbalist Susun Weed. In it, she contrasts the Heroic and Scientific traditions with what she calls the “Wise Woman” tradition. The Wise Woman tradition heals by nourishing, and therefore its medicines are living foods (meaning unprocessed, whole, and wild). In the midst of our community Refresh at Source Centre, I am reflecting on the phenomenon of detoxing, and the greater paradigm in which such a practice is situated. Often, we approach detoxing, cleansing or dieting as a process of subtraction. We “cut” things out, usually things which we consider pleasurable (although guilt-inducing). We forbid ourselves the indulgence of these guilty pleasures–the complex carbs, the sugary treats, the fried or fatty foods–all of which give us pleasure through taste. I call this a deprivation model. There is a penitent element which constricts or even punishes desire, to achieve the higher purpose of purity. This is why, in my view, people find detoxing painful, difficult, and pleasure-less. This is why people “fail” at diets, or cannot sustain the shift in their physicality brought on by dieting or cleansing. This approach breeds resistance, rigidity and disempowerment. In other words, the deprivation model which holds subtraction as its primary action does not, and cannot, feed the individual in a meaningful and sustainable way. Of course, the foods these diets promote are often greatly nutritious and beneficial to the body. It is all in the paradigm and perspective one inhabits that determines the experience of such a commitment. We can impose change upon our external habits, but sustained transformation arises from within, from a paradigm of empowerment, abundance and resolve. (see last week’s Resolve blog). Ross Bridgeford, alkaline diet coach, recently touched upon this in a video posted on his website. In shifting ones diet towards alkalinity (meaning foods that are the opposite of acidic, and therefore promoting long term wellbeing) Ross advises that, rather than remove acidic foods from the diet, we instead simply add alkaline foods. By adding alkaline foods, such as organic greens, fresh fruits and vegetables, and alkaline water, the body increases its intake of essential nutrients without rules and restrictions. The yet more enlightening result, according to Ross, is that this process of adding nutrition provides the subconscious with the chance to “catch up” with the conscious mind, and become aligned with what really nourishes. The bodymind then gradually and voluntarily adopts alkalinity; the cravings for acidic foods are relinquished, and the hunger for nutritious, living foods enhanced. This result suggests that nourishment empowers, and deprivation weakens. A healthy diet however goes far beyond what we physically ingest. We can and do nourish (or deprive) ourselves with our thoughts, beliefs and actions . We are nourished by possibilities: of doing things differently, taking risks, experimenting, even “failing.” When we take a risk, we actually call something new into existence. When we nourish, we empower ourselves to be the answer to our own prayers. In the words of poet Galway Kinnel, “everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing”. I hope that today and for all the days to come, you live this...

(Image: ‘fresh fruit’ by adamr / FreeDigitalPhotos.net) There was a time a few years ago when I was really keen on detoxes and explored and tried all sorts. This has been less so in recent times. To be honest, there’s a part of me that views a detox as a deprivation and I fear withdrawal symptoms – not just headaches, potential nausea and general fatigue, but even angst and restlessness at not allowing myself to reach out for my old standbys of comfort. This April, I’m going to give it another go alongside my Source community. It’s springtime, a natural time to clean out and we’re taking a new approach. No deprivation model here, it’s actually about nourishment and there’s a lot of information available in-office and on the web, including some great talks we’re hosting in April. In the meantime, I’d love to share my approach on getting started. So first, I like (need) to take a few weeks to prepare, and I pick a time period where my schedule is relatively light or where there aren’t too many outings planned. For us, this is going to be the week of April 15th. I begin to prepare myself mentally with the gentle reminders that we (the whole mind-body-spirit that composes this ‘Lana’ thing) are going to be undergoing a detox. This is a voluntary thing and the result is going to be positive. This is something we all want and it is a time-limited thing. We can totally do this. I also create some intentions around what I would like to achieve – this will consist of physical intentions (like sleep better, feel more energized, improve my skin’s glow, and sure, drop a few pounds 😛 ) and also something more spiritual & emotional (I would like to gain more peace, feel more love, and gain greater clarity around decision-making). The next piece is some practical planning around what I’m going to need. What is the detox itself going to consist of? What are the foods and equipment I’m going to need to have in place to make this work? Generally for me, I know that I need to have food and plans set for the next 2 days ahead; this also means setting aside time in my calendar every day (or other) to grocery shop and plan for the 2 days after that. And so on for the duration of the cleanse. Primarily, I will eat lots of raw food, say good bye to sugar, gluten, dairy, coffee, all fried and processed foods and add lots of water, herbal teas, seaweed, and supplements. Here I also consider my Achilles foods – coffee, chocolate (and sweets in general) and bread. What is the game plan for dealing with these cravings? In my nourishing cleanse, I’m going to drink green tea so that will provide me with a caffeine fix but do it with healthy antioxidant goodness (In most, if not every cleanse, we eliminate caffeine). For my sweet tooth, I’ll turn to fruit or a banana smoothie. For bread, I may just try out a gluten-free bread. Depending on the type of detox you take on, there may be satisfying ways of taking the sting out. The truth is, there is a lot of healthy culinary satisfaction available that I’m not even aware of. This is the fun part. I’ve checked out some books and have found some recipes I’m really eager to try. Our bodies thrive on proper nourishment. It’s never my body that craves junk food, is it? No! It’s my monkey mind that plays this...